


Sunset

by FawkesFire13



Category: Midnight Poppy Land (Webcomic)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:27:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25625929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FawkesFire13/pseuds/FawkesFire13
Summary: Tora and Poppy’s kiss.
Relationships: Tora/Poppy
Comments: 42
Kudos: 136





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone,
> 
> This is my gift to the MPL fandom. I know we aren’t having a new episode this week, and because this was specifically a moment requested of me from my fellow MPL fans, I decided to try my hand at it.
> 
> This POV story is a little different then my previous ones. We are going to be jumping back and forth each chapter experiencing the same scene from Poppy’s POV, then Tora’s and so on and so forth. So you’ll be reading the same dialogue in essence, but have different internal monologues. 
> 
> Their internal thoughts are speculation on my part, and some of what Lilydusk has already given us, so please bear that in mind as you read. I sincerely hope you all enjoy it. There might be some minor errors, which I’ll fix as I find them, but I basically cranked out all these chapters in the space of five days and dealing with a few stressful events in my life. 
> 
> A HUGE shout out to my ladies in the MPL RAMBLING chat. You ladies give me life.
> 
> As always, all characters belong to Lilydusk!
> 
> Enjoy.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tora and Poppy’s kiss.
> 
> Poppy’s POV

Poppy stared at her blank computer screen and willed something to come to mind. A few days had passed from her last meeting with Mr. Lam and she was still drawing a blank on how to approach this.

Hours had passed since she first tried to start this project and she just couldn’t get into the right frame of mind. The harder she pushed, the more firmly her brain told her to go away. Even the pint of chocolate chip ice cream she ate for lunch didn’t seem to help.

Yeah, she was a real adult and could eat whatever the heck she wanted. Ice cream normally helped. Except for today. 

She felt restless. Frustrated, and annoyed she finally stood up to just stretch, and her eyes fell on the Secret Garden book. Well, might as well see what the fuss was about.

Poppy flopped back on the floor, book in hand and opened the cover. It felt too warm today, but the nights had been getting cooler. A light breeze was blowing through the balcony door. She sighed and turned a page.

What could a tiny start up like Giant Goldfish offer to a famous novelist? Let alone a guy who made money in a year than I could ever dream of in a lifetime? 

She finally just settled and focused on the story. 

About fifteen minutes later she flipped a page and read. 

“OH!”

Oh my goodness! This was so racey! Poppy giggled just a bit. 

I can’t believe Mrs. Lam’s been reading the same kind of trashy novels that I have! Her eyes traveled to the top shelves on her bookcase. The spines were flipped backwards so the titles didn’t show. Yes, she read romance novels, or as Erdene had once called them: “Smutty Smut-Smut.”

She was suddenly glad Tora hadn’t poked around too much the other night at dinner. She smirked and went back to reading. 

Wait....She flipped ahead a few pages, started reading again. Phew! That was....wait? Could people actually bend like that? Would that even be possible? She made a mental note to ask about page 312. 

Damn....Mrs. Lam had some spicy taste in stories.

Wait.

Mrs. Lam.

“The painting! I forgot about it!” Poppy sat up quickly, and walked over to her canvas to check. She touched it gently. 

Great! It’s almost dried. There’s still a couple hours left. Time for finishing touches. The weather was perfect too. I’ll just head up to the roof....

She glanced at the balcony door. Normally she would have just left it open to let in the breeze....but ever since Tora had visited....

She closed the glass door and clicked the lock shut.

Tora....

Tora.

Unwillingly, passages from The Secret Garden floated up into her mind, rather forcefully bringing Tora’s image with them.

“His lips were perfect....they looked as perfect as they tasted....”

“And as his strong fierce gaze lowered, his eyes softened....”

“.....and his long lashes cast feathery shadows across high angular cheekbones...”

Tora’s intense golden eyes stared back at her in her mind.

His lips....

Poppy blinked. She felt her cheeks getting warm.

“GAAHH!” She picked up her art supplies and hurried out of the apartment, determined not to think too much about that. 

A hour had passed on the roof and the sun was dipping lower in the sky. She had been up here adding little touches to the canvas and studying the picture Mr. Lam had given her for some time. The painting looked nearly done, but something just....didn’t look right. It wasn’t quite complete. 

Hmmm.

Maybe it was the light out here on the roof? She glanced at the sky. 

“Oh shoot! What time is it?” Quickly she grabbed her phone and checked the time. 

“Gah.....I wasn’t watching the time. Mr. Lam is flying off in less than a hour....”

Should...I just mail it to him instead? But that if he doesn’t receive it? Or it gets tossed out by his assistants?

Hmmm....

Poppy frowned, considering this. She had wanted to paint Lam a farewell gift. Something to remind him of the beautiful love story that he and his wife got to live together.....and maybe make him look less....creepy than he was in the picture....

But is it arrogant of me to think this is something he might even want to have?

She touched one of the smaller paint brushes and looked back at the canvas. 

Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get back to work! She mentally chided herself. 

Sighing Poppy turned back to the painting and began touching up Mrs. Lam’s hair, just as her phone buzzed. 

She grabbed it with her free hand and put it to her ear, wondering if maybe she should add some flowers to the border of the painting. 

“Hello?” She answered, stepping back to eye her last brush strokes. 

“Are ya home?” A very familiar, husky voice asked. 

“Tora?!” Well.....this....was not expected. “Yes, I’m home. W-where are you?” She asked, curious.

“I’m outside.” Poppy paused. Wait....what?

“Outside....where?” 

“Ya apartment building.” Tora answered. She could almost hear his smile through the phone. Poppy tried not to think about that one too hard, or why it was making her heart pound faster....

“What? Really? What are you doing here?” Well, she wasn’t going to complain. He was....really nice company. When he wasn’t teasing her. Well, even if he was teasing....

“.....stuff.”

“Uh huh. You’re a real busy guy, aren’t you?” A idea occurred to her. “Hey umm. Since you’re here, do you wanna come up?” She fumbled with her phone a moment, looking for the correct program that worked the gate around the complex. “I’ll unlock the gate for you....just a sec.”

The access button on her phone flashed green and she entered her code to open it. 

“Are you in now?” She asked after a moment.

“Yeah, I’m in. Coulda just climbed over. The walls are so fuckin’ low.” Poppy grinned. Parkour instructor indeed.

“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” She scolded him gently, using the loaded paint brush to fill in a bit of the border around the edges of her canvas. Maybe she should fill it in with a softer blue?

“Just because I shouldn’t doesn’t mean I can’t...” Poppy giggled. He was quick. 

“Oof. Nice one. Actually, I was wondering if you could do me a favor. If you have some time to spare?” She wouldn’t mind spending more time with him, after all. Maybe he would drive her to the airport to hand over the painting. 

“Favors? I love those.” Tora chuckled darkly. Why did that chuckle give her butterflies? 

“Pfft!” Poppy laughed. “Don’t be a jerk! Anyway, come on up! I’m on the rooftop!”

Suddenly there was some yelling on Tora’s end of the line. Poppy strained to hear but couldn’t make out exactly what was being said. Ugh. Was it that pervert, Trevor? Was he giving Tora a hard time? Honestly, he must have seen the gate unlock for him.

“Tora? What’s wrong? I heard someone yelling....”

“Just some people passin’ by.” Tora assured her calmly. “I’ll see ya in a bit, Sweetheart.” He added.

He hung up. Poppy grinned at the phone. 

Sweetheart. 

She didn’t hate that as much as she did a few days ago.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tora and Poppy’s kiss
> 
> Tora’s POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone,
> 
> This is my gift to the MPL fandom. I know we aren’t having a new episode this week, and because this was specifically a moment requested of me from my fellow MPL fans, I decided to try my hand at it.
> 
> This POV story is a little different then my previous ones. We are going to be jumping back and forth each chapter experiencing the same scene from Poppy’s POV, then Tora’s and so on and so forth. So you’ll be reading the same dialogue in essence, but have different internal monologues. 
> 
> Their internal thoughts are speculation on my part, and some of what Lilydusk has already given us, so please bear that in mind as you read. I sincerely hope you all enjoy it. There might be some minor errors, which I’ll fix as I find them, but I basically cranked out all these chapters in the space of five days and dealing with a few stressful events in my life. 
> 
> A HUGE shout out to my ladies in the MPL RAMBLING chat. You ladies give me life.
> 
> As always, all characters belong to Lilydusk!
> 
> Enjoy.

“I’ll see ya in a bit, sweetheart.”

Tora disconnected the call, and slipped his phone into his pocket. The security guard was walking towards him.

“YA CAN’T READ OR WHAT?” He was shouting. Tora spared a side glance at him. “CAN’T YOU SEE THAT SIGN OVER THERE? SAYS NO SMOKING!”

The man was just over middle age, round, soft build. Unshaven. A woman in a purple button down blouse followed him. Hmm.

The guy’s fly was down.

The tubby man stopped next to him, hands on his hips, the very image of a person who took their position, but not their job, seriously.

This was the dumbass who was supposed to be protecting Poppy’s apartment building? Gyu had warned him about this idiot. 

He would have to fix this.

Now.

He took a long, slow drag on his cigarette, exhaled it through his nose. 

“Trevor, right?” He didn’t bother to face the man, not yet. Intimidation was all about getting into a person’s head. This guy felt his rent-a-cop status put him on par with a secret service position. 

It was Tora’s self appointed intention to relieve him of this misguided train of thought. As soon as he said his name, Tora could almost feel his face go pale.

He glanced over at him. Trevor’s skin looked clammy. He needed to shower. The man stunk of cheap beer and too much cologne. 

“Listen up, Trevor....” Tora said carefully, and watched a bead of sweat travel from the man’s hairline down his loose jawline. This would be easy. He’d do that thing he did to creep Quincey out.

Not breaking eye contact, he opened his mouth, letting his tongue come out. Carefully, deliberately, he brought the cigarette up and pushed it onto his tongue, letting it fizzle a moment. 

Trevor shuttered. 

Tora spit the saliva tainted with that burnt ash flavor off to the side, and glanced back down at his new friend. Trevor’s lady friend scuttled away quickly, clearly had more survival instincts then Trevor here.

“I put my cigarette out...just like ya told me to.” He said, holding up the butt for Trevor to see. He reached out with his free hand and grabbed Trevor’s. The man was too shocked to say anything. 

What a fucking push over.

“Now you better make sure NOT A SINGLE PERSON lights up out here.....” Tora stared into Trevor’s face, as he placed the spent butt in his hand. “....or I’m comin’ after you....And ya family....and ya fuckin’ toy poodle.....” He gripped Trevor’s hand in his own, not enough to hurt him, but enough to make sure he understood just who was in control here. 

“Got it?” Tora took a half step into Trevor’s personal space, allowing his height to work in his favor.

Trevor’s face turned a sickly shade of gray. 

“Y-y-yeah. I got it, man.....”

“Good. Now get the fuck out.” Tora ordered, turning away, dismissing him. He touched the package in his hoodie’s front pocket, and Trevor gulped nervously. Tora glanced at him.

“And zip up ya pants. It’s fuckin’ disgusting.” Tora growled. The man had actually pissed his fucking pants. 

Jesus.

What sort of wussy ass guard was this? The man couldn’t handle a little intimidation without letting the flood gates open? Tora felt vaguely relieved he hadn’t shit his pants. At least he wouldn’t have to walk past it on his way out.

As Trevor hurried away, Tora snorted. Normally, neglectful security guards made his life a lot easier. But this fuckwit was supposed to be keeping Poppy safe.

He already had men keeping a look out, and that motion camera Gyu had him set up, but he wanted her to be safe. Trevor was just a weak link. Poppy was not going to be unprotected on his watch, even if it was only by some rental cop.

Fucking idiot.

He felt his phone buzz as he began walking towards the building. 

He checked the screen. 

Ronzo: 

“It’s done. Check the papers tmr.”

Good.

Tora took the stairs to the top floor, slowly, but it helped him work off some restless energy. Finally on the top floor he looked around for the rooftop exit. Poppy has said she was up here. What the hell was she doing on the rooftop? He glanced around and saw a door marked “Rooftop Access.” 

He walked over and tested the handle. It was unlocked. These buildings had such shitty security. 

He opened the door and stepped out into the pale sunlight and looked around to get his bearings. 

Huh. The rooftop looked really clean. Comfortable even. Like maybe the residents here used it to hang out. Above him was a wooden latticework, a few scrawny vines growing over it. Tora looked at the wood pieces, a memory coming to the forefront of his mind.

It wasn’t a pleasant memory. But then again....he didn’t have many of those. Not after Vincent chose him. This particular one always seemed to visit him in his nightmares. Confined to a cage. Left alone for days. Starved. Or thrown rotting food. 

He frowned darkly. Well, he had been stronger than anything Vincent put him through. He’d survived. 

For a moment he let the late winter sun warm his face. Spring was around the corner, but the last days of winter clung on tighter in the evenings, the chilly air creeping in swiftly as soon as the sun dipped below the horizon.

He hadn’t woken up today with plans to stop by and see Poppy. It just....happened. Maybe it was knowledge that a War between clans was brewing.....that the time to say goodbye to her way approaching just as quickly as spring and his wintery darkness shouldn’t linger to destroy her blossoming life.

He’d been listening to Quincey’s shit too long.

“SON OF A FUDGE BISCUIT!”

Poppy’s strained, annoyed voice rang out, loud and clear. Tora looked towards her voice and smiled to himself. 

She stood, turned away from him, wearing shorts and a animal print tank top. Not a animal skin print tank top. Not like that ridiculous leopard print turtle neck Quincey wore and insisted was “high fashion.” Little cutesy animals were printed on it.

She was beautiful.

He watched her silently for a few moments, just taking in the way she moved. What did it feel like......so see the world the way she did? To not look at every shadow with suspicion. To be able to have a heart big enough to trust....well, him? She still hadn’t noticed him standing here yet. Apparently she had no earthly reason to watch her own back. Instead she rubbed her neck and stared at the painting she was working on, frustration written into every line of her tiny frame.

Maybe she could use a break.

Tora walked over to her, focusing on her small movements, clearly trying to correct something on the canvas. He pushed the hood of his sweater off his head, not wanting to scare her. His hair blew free, covering his eyes for a moment. Well, he couldn’t help it. He’d lost all his damn hair ties. Or Quincey had been using them. Whatever. She still hadn’t noticed him. When he was close enough to touch her, he spoke.

“Needed an audience?”

Poppy turned quickly, a blank look on her face, at first her eyes landing on his chest, then traveled up. Her body registered shock, and she moved her mouth to scream.

“Eeeek-“ a strangled little cry was forcing it way out of her mouth. Tora smirked and finally delivered the thing that gave him a excuse to be here.

“Caramel chocolate muffin.” He shoved it gently into her mouth, her eyes indignant and confused as he did so. 

Cute little hamster.

Poppy took a bite and wrapped her hands on the bottom of the muffin, her face looking adorable content. Tora grinned. The girl could put away so much damn sugar. 

“....woah. This is really good!” She said, taking another bite and chewing away happily. 

“Ya like it?” He asked, just to hear her say she was happy. 

“Mm hmm!” She answered, mouth still full. Personally, he could never really handle sweets like that. But he had a feeling he could take Poppy into any bakery in Narin and never find something too sweet for her tastes. 

“Not a fudge biscuit. But close enough.” He teased her, as she began peeling off the wrapper. 

“F-fudge biscuit? What’s that? Never heard of it before.” She spluttered, clearly embarrassed. Tora would never tire of teasing her. She had the cutest reactions. He could watch her for hours and still fine something new to be amazed with.

“Anyway, where’d you buy this from?” Poppy asked.

“.....somewhere in town.” He answered truthfully. “I was in the area and thought you might want one.”

“Aww! Thanks!” She smiled up at him, her face softly glowing in the fading sunlight. “But geez, if you REALLY need to sneak up from behind, at least do it with your hair tied up.”

Tora grinned. Such a jumpy little thing. “Ran outta hair ties.” He explained. Well, it was windy up here, but it could be worse. 

“Oof! That sucks!” Poppy said, and began digging in her pocket. “But fear not! I think I have a extra one!” A moment later she held out her hand.

A red hair tie with a plastic strawberry on it rested in her tiny palm. Cutesy in a way that only Poppy could be. 

“It’s got a strawberry on it though....if you don’t mind....” her voice trailed off uncertainly. Tora reached out, plucking the hair tie from her hand. 

“S’fine.”

He leaned back, resting himself comfortably on the low ledge to watch her and used his fingers to comb back some of his hair, fashioning a bun.

“So what’s this ‘favor’ I’ve been hearin’ about?” He asked her. Poppy was watching him silently, seemingly amused by him fixing his hair, and then she turned back to the easel. 

“Oh right! I painted this for Mr. Lam....you know....The old dude.” She explained. Tora nodded. Yes. He would always remember that particular adventure. “But he’s flying off today....and the buses here take ages to get to the main city area...” He listened calmly, and glanced at the easel. It was a portrait. One of the faces was clearly a younger Mr. Lam, and the other, judging from the pose, was his wife. Hm. Well, the way Poppy painted him, he didn’t look so bad. “And the bus schedule for this area’s too erratic....just because we’re far away from everyone else.....so, I was wondering....if you could give me a lift to town?”

“Sure.” He answered simply. Frankly, she could have asked for the moon, and he would have found a way to pull it down from the sky for her. He crossed his arms over his chest. A ride? That was simple. 

“Really?” She beamed. Tora grinned at her. “Just give me a moment to fix this dumb mistake I made.” She turned to stare at the canvas, wiping her hands clean of the remaining muffin crumbs. Tora watched her thoughtfully picking out a paint brush, then loading it carefully with paint.

He watched her eye her creation a moment, then apply a soft stroke to the corner of young Lam’s face, eye it critically, then touch up another corner. Her head titled a little, taking in the new paint. 

The air up here was clean and lacked the smell of the city. For a few minutes they were both silent, Poppy focusing on her work, and Tora simply enjoying being in her presence. Poppy had a relaxed way about her, putting him at ease by just being nearby. 

She trusted him. For some....unfathomable reason, this stubborn chaotic little bundle of energy trusted him. Not many people did.....well, not so quickly. He’d always been a man of his word. It was one of the few things about himself he took pride in. Poppy smiled at the canvas, seemingly pleased with her work. 

“I didn’t mean to take that photo of you.” He offered suddenly, the desire to show all his cards overwhelming. 

“I know.....and I believe you.” She answered, her back to him still. “At least, I know that pervy shot itself was a accident. I mean, who goes around waiting for a random woman’s shirt to burst open just to take a lewd photo of her?” Poppy reasoned, as she added a soft pink color to Mrs. Lam’s cheeks. She studied the look and continued. “They’d have a higher chance of winning the lottery, to be honest. It’s pretty much common sense, I guess? I could at least figure that much out, after I calmed down.”

She paused a moment and dipped a different brush into a vibrant red and touched up some flowers along the border of the painting. Tora followed the brush strokes, wondering how the hell she made the color flow so easily. 

“But.....you cant tell me that you just stood there.....whipped your phone out.....and took a photo of ME, by accident TOO......did you?”

She didn’t turn around, but she was clearly waiting for a answer as she added some red petals to the flowers. Tora frowned. He didn’t want to lie to her. 

Poppy didn’t deserve lies. But.....he needed her to be safe. She was....very curious and the more she knew.....well, he doubted very much that she WOULD’NT go digging. Still....

“....I didn’t.” He replied. Her hand holding the brush stopped for a moment, then this time dipped into a deep orange. 

“Then should......I be asking why you took it?” 

Tora waited. 

Tell the truth.

As much of the truth that is safe.

The truth. 

She deserves that.

“I was at the roadside....” he explained. “Saw ya climbin’ out of the bushes. I didn’t know if ya needed help, so I followed behind til I found you at the train station.” He offered quietly. “I was just gonna returns your notes to ya.” He added, looking at the ground. Partly true.

“And you did. But that doesn’t explain the photo.” Poppy insisted. She wasn’t going to let this go. 

Goddamn it.

Tora glanced up at her. He could see her ear turning a bright pink, the flushed color traveling down her neck. 

She was too beautiful. 

Perfect.

“Why did you take a photo of me, in the first place?” She asked softly, nervously. Tora looked away, took a deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest. 

“Because you looked cute.”

Poppy paused, her hand and the brush a inch away from the canvas and she turned to stare at him, wide eyes surprised.

Tora waited. He had meant that. Every word. She was cute. 

She was....perfect. Everything about her. All five foot nothing of her. He wouldn’t change a single hair on her head. Except, it wasn’t the reason he took the picture. 

He looked back into her eyes, and willed her to believe him. He was being honest, as honest as he could be. 

Please let that mean something.....


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tora and Poppy’s kiss
> 
> Poppy’s POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone,
> 
> This is my gift to the MPL fandom. I know we aren’t having a new episode this week, and because this was specifically a moment requested of me from my fellow MPL fans, I decided to try my hand at it.
> 
> This POV story is a little different then my previous ones. We are going to be jumping back and forth each chapter experiencing the same scene from Poppy’s POV, then Tora’s and so on and so forth. So you’ll be reading the same dialogue in essence, but have different internal monologues. 
> 
> Their internal thoughts are speculation on my part, and some of what Lilydusk has already given us, so please bear that in mind as you read. I sincerely hope you all enjoy it. There might be some minor errors, which I’ll fix as I find them, but I basically cranked out all these chapters in the space of five days and dealing with a few stressful events in my life. 
> 
> A HUGE shout out to my ladies in the MPL RAMBLING chat. You ladies give me life.
> 
> As always, all characters belong to Lilydusk!
> 
> Enjoy.

Poppy put her phone down and went back to her painting. It would be a few minutes until Tora got up here, and she wanted to get this painting done so she could get it to Mr. Lam. 

She dipped a brush into the soft peach and white mixture she had created and looked at the canvas. Her thoughts raced back to Tora. 

What was she going to do about him? With....him? Did she want to do anything? 

Her thoughts had been a bit jumbled when it came to Tora.

Well, she couldn’t deny that he was....really attractive. Really really attractive. And strong. And his eyes....

She frowned to herself. Was this just rebound feelings? She’d only just caught Julri with that.....Mimi girl a week ago, and she had been with Julri for years. Not that it had been a perfect fairytale. She ground her teeth. Julri.

The guy who just couldn’t handle her moving to the city to start a more exciting life, who decided cheating on her was a better opinion than just talking to her....the guy who made her feel silly....

But maybe....maybe it wasn’t just because she moved away. Maybe he’d always thought of her as....disposable? Was she?

Poppy stopped herself. She didn’t need to think about him anymore. He wasn’t important and she wasn’t going to cry over guy who didn’t think she was worth his time.

That thought crushed her a little bit and she blinked back the tears that she felt threatening to spill from her eyes. It wasn’t fair. He was out of her life now and he STILL was able to hurt her...he probably didn’t even miss her. Was probably glad she was gone...

No.

No. Stop that. 

His loss.

She didn’t cry for Julri that day, and she wouldn’t cry now. Except....well, she had cried. After the scooter crashed. She’d cried quite a bit, actually. There were a lot of feelings still there, mostly uncertainty and a big chunk of her own ego getting stomped on.....

But, well, maybe she should be grateful. If Julri hadn’t been such a monumental asshole, she wouldn’t have met.....Tora.

Again, back to Tora.....

Which was ....another complicated question. Tora was....complicated. But not as scary as she had originally thought. It was strange, really, how quickly he had wedged his way into her life. She knew almost nothing about him, but...

She felt like she had known him all her life.

There. She said it. Well, thought it anyway. Tora fit into a part of her life’s puzzle when she didn’t realize it was missing a piece. He made her feel....safe. Which, in itself was absurd. The man was six feet three inches of dark, intimidating masculinity, but he was....fragile. Alice had made her really stop and consider it. She still wasn’t sure about everything she felt that night...

But...it was that...softer part of him that made her think of him more and more lately....

With his long, black hair that she normally wouldn’t be attracted to...but it somehow just worked so damn well on him....

Her hand dropped a bit as she zoned out....she’d love to braid it sometime....run her hands through those gorgeous locks....

The paint on her brush smeared the lower part of Mr. Lam’s jawline. 

“SON OF A FUDGE BISCUIT!”

Damnit, Pops! Get your mind out of the romance novels for like five minutes! She grumbled to herself and closed her eyes. Okay. Finish. The. Painting. 

She let out a single huff of air, annoyed with herself. She cleaned her brush and got to work and blended the smear away. 

“Needed an audience?” 

Poppy jumped slightly and looked over her shoulder.

Tall.

Wild black hair. 

Mouth in a hard line.

Ominously shadowed.

She really couldn’t help the reaction.

“EEEK-“ the squeak rose in her throat. 

“Caramel chocolate muffin.” Tora replied, a smirk on his face as he shoved the pastry directly into her open mouth. What the-?

She blinked, startled, heart still pounding as she grasped at the muffin. Wow. This was great, actually. So sweet and sugary. Perfect. Yum!

“Woah! This is really good!”

“Ya like it?” He asked, still grinning. 

“Mm hmm!” She took another huge bite. This was actually really tasty. 

“Not a fudge biscuit, but close enough.” Tora smirked. Poppy felt her heart speed up. Damn him and his sneaky sneaky habits!

“F-fudge biscuit? What’s that? Never heard of it!” She spluttered. Damnit! He always got her off guard. She changed the subject. “Anyway...where’d you buy this from?”

“.....somewhere in town. I was in the area and thought you might want one.” Tora answered. She smiled, truly touched.

“Aww! Thanks!” She took another bite. He really did manage to find a muffin that had two of her favorite flavors in it. Honestly, that was really sweet of him. She looked up at him, and smiled, his eyes almost covered by that mass of hair. 

“But geez! If you REALLY need to sneak up from behind, at least do it with your hair tied up.” She teased him. It was hard enough to read Tora at times, and she wanted to see those molten gold eyes. 

“Ran outta hair ties.” He smirked again. 

“Oof, that sucks!” Poppy answered. Then she felt her pocket. Oh! “But fear not! I think I have a extra one....”

Yep. She pulled the strawberry hair tie from her pocket and held it out. Then bit her lip. Oh. That strawberry......

“It’s got a strawberry on it though....if you don’t mind....” for just a fraction of a second she remembered Julri’s voice. Teasing her about her making him a bento with cartoon characters....telling her she was childish....

But Tora plucked the hair tie from her hand, almost reverently....and began finger combing his hair from his eyes. He had such gorgeous eyelashes. Why did men always seem to have such beautiful lashes? It seemed so unfair to her.

“S’fine.” He smiled, and that made her pause. Tora....Mr. Big and Scary was using her hair tie without a second thought. That....

Was something she hadn’t expected. She would have been less surprised if he had laughed at her....or teased her for being childish....

But.....he didn’t. There was something there that she wasn’t ready to process yet, so she turned away, looking back at her canvas. That ‘something’ was named Julri.

“So, what’s this ‘favor’ I’ve been hearin’ about?” Tora asked, as he leaned against the ledge. 

“Oh right!” Poppy smiled. “I painted this for Mr. Lam....you know, the old dude?” She glanced over at him, still smiling. “But he’s flying off today....and the buses here take ages to get to the main city area....” she hesitated. She knew she was asking a sorta big favor. He might be busy, or just might not want to deal with the traffic. “And the bus schedule for this area’s too erratic, just because we’re far away from everyone else...” she looked after at him, leaning there silently, watching her. “Sooo....I was wondering if you could give me a lift to town?” She finished hurriedly. 

“Sure.”

“Really?” Well, that was easy. Seemed like anytime she had ever asked Julri for a favor it was a huge inconvenience....STOP. THINKING. ABOUT. JULRI. Poppy scolded herself. “Just give me a moment to fix this dumb mistake I made...” she finished her muffin and wiped her hands. 

She eyed the painting carefully and added a bit more color to Mr. Lam’s jawline and neck. She stepped back and looked at the full painting, judging the shadows and lights. Hmm. Not....bad. It could use a little more color. Just to give it more depth. 

“I didn’t mean to take that photo of you.” Tora said suddenly. Poppy blinked. She hadn’t thought he would bring it up again, but well....maybe they did need to talk. 

“I know, and I believe you....” she answered him honestly, still focused on her painting. “At least, I know that pervy shot itself, was an accident. And I was kinda just teasing you about it....” Mrs. Lam’s cheeks needed some color, so she dipped her brush into a few soft pink and went to work. “I mean, who goes around, waiting for random women’s shirts to burst open....just to take a lewd photo of her?” 

She stepped back for a second and focused on the other cheek, very gently applying color. “They’d have a higher chance of winning the lottery, to be honest. It’s pretty much common sense...I could at least figure THAT much out, after I calmed down....”

Poppy looked at the whole painting then touched her brush to the red paint and added some more color to the flowers along the edges. Tora was still silent. She hesitated for just a moment then continued on. 

“But.....you can't tell me that you just stood there....whipped out your phone....and took a photo of me by accident, too.....did you?” Or had been the thought that had bothered her since that day. Well, since she left the police station and had a day or two to think about it. She was almost worried to hear the answer.

“......I didn’t.” Tora replied. She swallowed hard.

“Then should.....should I be asking why you took it?” She didn’t want to look at him just yet and kept her eyes focused on the canvas. Damnit. She didn’t want to be disappointed. 

“I was at the roadside.” Tora explained. “Saw ya climbin’ out the bushes. I didn’t know if ya needed help, so I followed behind til I found you at the train station. I was just gonna return your notes to ya.”

Oh. Well, that made sense....but....

“And you did. But that doesn’t explain the photo....”

Poppy heard him shift his weight slightly. She felt her face growing warm. Damnit! Why did her body have to go and act so damn ridiculous? Why was she blushing now?

“Why did you take a photo of me, in the first place...?”

There was a short pause, and finally Tora spoke. It wasn’t was she was expecting to hear.

“Because you looked cute.” She stopped and turned to look at him.

She....looked cute?

Oh! 

Ba-dump

Ba-dump 

Ba-dump


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tora and Poppy’s kiss.
> 
> Tora’s POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone,
> 
> This is my gift to the MPL fandom. I know we aren’t having a new episode this week, and because this was specifically a moment requested of me from my fellow MPL fans, I decided to try my hand at it.
> 
> This POV story is a little different then my previous ones. We are going to be jumping back and forth each chapter experiencing the same scene from Poppy’s POV, then Tora’s and so on and so forth. So you’ll be reading the same dialogue in essence, but have different internal monologues. 
> 
> Their internal thoughts are speculation on my part, and some of what Lilydusk has already given us, so please bear that in mind as you read. I sincerely hope you all enjoy it. There might be some minor errors, which I’ll fix as I find them, but I basically cranked out all these chapters in the space of five days and dealing with a few stressful events in my life. 
> 
> A HUGE shout out to my ladies in the MPL RAMBLING chat. You ladies give me life.
> 
> As always, all characters belong to Lilydusk!
> 
> Enjoy.

Being able to trust.  
To see the goodness in people.  
Even the most fucked up, undeserving people.....

And to walk down the streets....without being eaten alive by paranoia or fear...

What was that like? He couldn’t remember. But looking at Poppy, who knew only that...

“Can I....can I believe that you’re telling the truth?” She asked him, her brown eyes boring into his very core. 

Tora looked back at her, silently praying she would still trust him. The look she had on her face when she stared at him...

Shy....but bold, hopeful. Tora frowned looking at the ground. 

Fuck....

Whatever she’s hoping I’ll say...it’s gonna be too far from the truth...

But....he didn’t want to lie. It felt wrong. Where the the line he had to walk that kept her safe? Finally he looked at her, speaking what he hoped would be enough. 

“....it’s part of the truth. S’all I can say.” He felt a hollowness in his gut. He’d never felt such a strong temptation to confess to anyone before. He wanted to lay out his sins at her feet, and beg her to accept him still.

But....

But he have the right to do that to her? To shatter her peaceful, light filled world? Was that his choice to make? 

“Whatever it is....I just wanted to say I’m sorry for takin’ that photo....s’all. And....I hope that’s enough for ya.” 

Poppy was watching him carefully, he could feel her eyes searching, scrutinizing his words. He felt his heart pounding. He wasn’t ready to just....let her go....

“It’s enough.” She smiled softly. “And I appreciate your apology.” He felt a weight lifting partly from his chest. 

“Everyone has a right to their own privacy, including you. And I respect that. Especially since we....umm...we barely know each other. And that photo’s already been deleted...and you’ve apologized for it. So let’s just put this behind us.” Poppy said easily, turning back to her canvas.

Tora waited. Surely there was more? But no. Poppy wasn’t part of his world. Part of that darkness. She didn’t make dangerous deals. Didn’t need to worry about people stabbing her in the back.....except....she was still in danger simply by knowing him. He shoved the thought away for a moment. He could have this time with her, couldn’t he? Just a few more minutes of peace?

“So you’re not gonna poke ya nose in my business anymore?” He asked with a grin. Trying to keep this time from being spoiled. 

“It’s not just ‘your business’ if I was also involved!” She countered. “Quit flashing you’re dimples at me!”

Dimples? 

She was worried about his dimples? Tora felt his smile widen. Flirting was back on the table. 

“Why?”

“B-B-Because it’s obscene!” Poppy answered, her hands shook just a bit as she opened her paint box. Okay, so he couldn’t help it. She liked his dimples and that made him unreasonably happy. 

“You rejecting the most popular high-school heart throb’s killer dimples?” He asked her. 

“Oh please!” She spluttered, face blushing a bright pink. She was so easy to read. He loved teasing her just to see her reactions. “The only thing that’s throbbing is-“

Oh this was too good, she backed herself into the dirty thoughts corner without meaning to. He waited, eyebrow cocked, grinning. How was she going to recover this?

“Is-is......my.....head.”

Tora thought his ribs might crack from holding in his laughter. Her head....right. 

“Stop laughing.....I know you’re laughing at me now....” Tora tried to stop, and trembled from the effort. Silly hamster....

“ANYWAY....you brought it up, so I asked. I’m not a busy body.”

Alright, that was fair, he looked back at her, still smiling. “But...we’re not always gonna have answers to all the questions in our lives.....and I think I’m okay with that.” He watched her fiddle with a paint brush, silent. He just wanted to understand her. Know her better.

“It took me a while to comes to terms with it though. Especially after my dad....left. So suddenly.”

Tora frowned. Left? Like...left her family? Her mom? Died? Gyu hadn’t found much on her family. The girl was a damn mystery. 

“He dead?” He asked bluntly, curious.

“Yes Tora. ‘He dead.’ But civilized people prefer to call it ‘passed on’ or ‘passed away.’” She smirked. She was adding some more brush strokes to the canvas now. He watched her create a flock of birds in the upper corner. Clearly adding some final touches to the piece.

For a few minutes neither of them spoke, and Tora watched the sky change colors, becoming more vibrant and deep. Winter sunsets always seemed to come too quickly. 

There was more he needed to know. To confirm. He had to be certain....the office had given them nothing. Gyu had turned over every piece of paper, checked every computer with Tora right next to him. Where had that notebook vanished to? She was the only lead he had.

Just man the fuck up and ask her. Tora sighed and looked back at Poppy. 

“What got you all flustered?” He asked carefully. “At the train station. You looked like somethin’ spooked you out real bad. Hope it wasn’t me.” He added quickly, smiling, knowing his obscene dimples would be showing. 

“You can bet it was you and your scary ass.” Poppy answered, face completely straight. That pulled him up short. Shit....she was dead serious. Do I really look that terrifying to her? Like “scream on sight” terrifying? Maybe I should smile more? But people scream when I smile, too. Look at Quincey. But did Quincey count? Quincey screams about a lot of stuff. Fuck my face. Fuck my life.

Just fuck all of it. Damnit.

“In all honesty, I haven’t thought about that day, after getting back.” Poppy continued, but she was looking at him. He watched her impassively, listening. “I’ve been so swarmed with work, and life and everything. And....don’t laugh. But I was spooked by a shoe I found by accident.”

He forced his face to remain neutral. A shoe. He knew what she was talking about. The shoe he had seen in the bushes amongst her scattered research papers...and the single page from the notebook. 

Fuck.

“So just a shoe that got you all freaked out? Nothin’ else out of the ordinary?” He asked carefully. 

“It wasn’t just a shoe though!” Poppy insisted. “It was a shoe covered in what looked like blood.”

Fuck.

Yeah, he’d seen the blood too. Probably Goliath’s blood. No wonder it had scared her. Probably her first brush with danger. And she had no idea how close she was to something so much bigger. Tora took in a slow breath, wishing for a cigarette suddenly. Fuck. She really was too close to all of this. 

“But.....I’m pretty sure it was just melted chocolate.” Poppy was saying, having turned back to her painting. “So yeah, that was pretty much it....” she stood, hands on her hips, eyeing the painting carefully. “Oh that’s and being tossed in the air after my scooter ran into a pile of hidden rocks....”

He needed to ask. He had to know. Fuck. He didn’t want to know. 

“Did you find anything other than the shoe?” He shifted his posture just slightly, standing up a bit straighter. Fuck. Poppy touched the edge of the painting carefully. The next words were.....cautious.

“No, I didn’t.....but why are you asking me these things?”

He didn’t move. Shit. She was too curious. Observant. He had to cover this, carefully. Her next words made him feel like someone sucker punched him. 

“You......you wouldn’t happen to have something to do with that shoe......would you?”

God, if she only knew. If she only understood just how much he had to do with that shoe. How much danger she was in by being near that shoe. The notebook. How every fucking crime lord in Narin wanted something she had brushed against. What they would do for answers. 

What would she think of him?

“What if I did?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tora and Poppy’s kiss.
> 
> Poppy’s POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone,
> 
> This is my gift to the MPL fandom. I know we aren’t having a new episode this week, and because this was specifically a moment requested of me from my fellow MPL fans, I decided to try my hand at it.
> 
> This POV story is a little different then my previous ones. We are going to be jumping back and forth each chapter experiencing the same scene from Poppy’s POV, then Tora’s and so on and so forth. So you’ll be reading the same dialogue in essence, but have different internal monologues. 
> 
> Their internal thoughts are speculation on my part, and some of what Lilydusk has already given us, so please bear that in mind as you read. I sincerely hope you all enjoy it. There might be some minor errors, which I’ll fix as I find them, but I basically cranked out all these chapters in the space of five days and dealing with a few stressful events in my life. 
> 
> A HUGE shout out to my ladies in the MPL RAMBLING chat. You ladies give me life.
> 
> As always, all characters belong to Lilydusk!
> 
> Enjoy.

Poppy looked at Tora, his face serious. She hadn’t been expecting that as a answer. In fact, she had been expecting anything but that. 

For a moment she felt like floating, but recent experience brought her back to reality rather quickly. She wanted to trust him. She could...couldn’t she? Tora had been.....okay. He wasn’t open. In fact, he had been somewhat closed off with her. But, whenever he did talk with her, she hadn’t hear anything that sounded like a lie.

Well, not like she was excellent judge or anything....but Tora has seemed different. Emotions jumbled together and she waited a moment before asking:

“Can I.....can I believe that you’re telling the truth?” She mumbled nervously. He leaned there silently, arms crossed. She waited, not wanting to push him. Tora seemed like a person that would close up the more a person pushed him for information. To say he was a private person was to say the ocean was a little wet. Finally he looked up at her.

“It’s part of the truth.” He said, a sort of pleading look on his face. “‘S’all I can say.” 

She believed that. His voice was sincere. Okay. So there was something else. But....well. He was being truthful about that part. Wait. He actually thought she was...cute? The idea that Tora....someone like Tora thought she was cute made her feel....strange. Excited? Giddy? Exhilarated?A sort of low burning warmth seemed to spread from her chest all the way to her toes. Tora thought she was cute? 

“Whatever it is...I just wanted to say I’m sorry. For takin’ that photo, s’all. And I hope that’s enough for ya.” He finished quickly. Poppy watched him closely for a moment and then felt herself smile.

“It’s enough. And I appreciate the apology.” She meant it. It felt good to say it out loud. “Everyone has a right to their own privacy, including you. And I respect that. Especially since we...umm... we barely know each other.” She smiled at him, and he watched her warily, as if unsure if she was going to start yelling at him. She tilted her head a little, curious what he was thinking. “And that photo’s already been deleted...and you’ve apologized for it...so let’s just put this behind us, now.”

Tora considered her a moment then she watched his posture slowly, very slowly relax.

“So you’re not gonna poke ya nose into my business anymore?” He asked carefully. She grinned.

“It’s not just ‘your business’ if I was also involved!” She reasoned with him. His smile grew wider. Oh God, his dimples. His adorable, ridiculously sexy dimples. “Quit flashing your dimples at me!” Rrrr! He had to know what he was doing! All six foot three of him looking illegally sexy...who the hell just...walks around looking like....well, that! Just that handsome? That dangerously, darkly handsome? 

She really needed to lay off the romance novels. 

“Why?” He asked, a wide smirk on his face, eyebrow cocked up. DAMN HIM.

“B-because it’s obscene!” She answered quickly. Oh no, she was blushing. She felt it. 

“You rejecting the most popular high school heart throb’s killer dimples?” He asked her, Cheshire grin entirely too confident. Poppy felt a little too flustered. 

“Oh please!” Poppy snapped a little too quickly. “The only thing that’s throbbing is-“

She stopped. Oh she was about to say something....dirty. Damnit! Fudge biscuits! It’s was those smutty novels! Her brain was pre-set to gutter mode before she even walked outside! Note to self: only read books like The Odyssey before Tora visits. Why was she like this around him? Tongue tied and awkward? She could feel him watching her, his cocky grin on his face. 

Damnit!!

“Is.....is....my....head...” she finished lamely. Oh yes, Pops. Very smooth. Tora was practically vibrating with suppressed laughter. “Stop laughing.....I know you’re laughing at me now....” oh her face must be so red right now. Damnit Tora! Why was she so nervous around him? Ugh. Pull it together, Pops!

“Anyway....you brought it up, so I asked. I’m not a busy body.” She turned fully towards him. “But we’re not always gonna have answers to all the questions in our lives....and I think I’m okay with that.” She picked up a clean brush and checked the bristles. “It took me a while to come to terms with it though. Especially after my dad....left, so suddenly.” She added, turning back to the canvas. 

Tora was silent for a moment then: 

“....he dead?”

Bluntness, Thy name is Tora.

“Yes, Tora. ‘He dead.’ But civilized people prefer to call it ‘passed on’ or ‘passed away’.” She rolled her eyes just slightly as she touched the newly colored flowers lightly. 

“What got you all flustered?” Tora asked her suddenly. She blinked. Really? He wanted her to explain the “throbbing” reference? “At the train station.” Tora clarified. “You looked like somethin’ spooked you out real bad. Hope it wasn’t me.” He added, his wide smile and dimples back on display. 

“You can bet it was you and your scary ass!” Poppy confirmed for him. Tora looked suddenly uneasy, and she rushed on to explain. “In all honesty, I haven’t thought about that day, after getting back. I’ve been so swarmed with work, and life and everything. And don’t laugh....” she added, and then paused a moment. Why was she telling him this?

“But I was spooked by a shoe I found by accident.” Tora’s face was unreadable. Which made her curious. 

“So just a shoe that got you all freaked out? Nothin’ else out of the ordinary?”

“It wasn’t just a shoe though!” Poppy pressed on. “It was a shoe covered in what looked like blood....” she frowned going back to her painting. That shoe had made her stomach turn in fear. The memory of it made her feel cold. “But...I’m pretty sure it was just melted chocolate. So yeah...that was pretty much it....oh that and being tossed into the air after my scooter ran into a pile of hidden rocks....” she finished slowly. Honestly, she was surprised she hadn’t been more seriously injured. 

“Did you find anything else other than the shoe?” Tora asked quietly. His tone made her pause. Something wasn’t right. What else was there? She thought back to that moment, and could only recall collecting her papers as quickly as she could. The shoe had stood out in her mind, a mystery that turned her stomach cold. 

“No, I didn’t.....” she paused, worried. “But why are you asking me these thing?” Connect the dots, Pops.

“You.....you wouldn’t happen to have something to do with that shoe....would you?” She asked slowly, her hand touching the edges of her canvas. 

“What if I did?” Came the question. 

Her heart beat sped up. Oh....


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tora and Poppy’s kiss
> 
> Tora’s POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone,
> 
> This is my gift to the MPL fandom. I know we aren’t having a new episode this week, and because this was specifically a moment requested of me from my fellow MPL fans, I decided to try my hand at it.
> 
> This POV story is a little different then my previous ones. We are going to be jumping back and forth each chapter experiencing the same scene from Poppy’s POV, then Tora’s and so on and so forth. So you’ll be reading the same dialogue in essence, but have different internal monologues. 
> 
> Their internal thoughts are speculation on my part, and some of what Lilydusk has already given us, so please bear that in mind as you read. I sincerely hope you all enjoy it. There might be some minor errors, which I’ll fix as I find them, but I basically cranked out all these chapters in the space of five days and dealing with a few stressful events in my life. 
> 
> A HUGE shout out to my ladies in the MPL RAMBLING chat. You ladies give me life.
> 
> As always, all characters belong to Lilydusk!
> 
> Enjoy.

Tora saw her hand grip the canvas for a moment, her back stiffened slightly. Tense. Nervous. 

He had fucked this up so badly. So very badly. He should have snatched that satchel from her hands at the train station.....

But...

He couldn’t.

Because....well, she had looked terrified. Like she’d wanted to cry, crawling out of those bushes. Like she was having the worst day of her life.

He didn’t want to scare her. Big Scary Tiger of Ares Street that he was....didn’t want to scare a tiny little thing like her. Because....she looked like she would have the sweetest, softest voice....

Nervously, he touched a few of her paint pots, dipping his thumb into the green and frowned. Fuck. Why was this so hard?

And he’d been right about that, hadn’t he? She had looked like an angel, utterly shocking him when he first laid eyes on her. Selfishly, he wanted to just prolong....whatever it was that they had. Even just a few more minutes. Could he make this right? He didn’t think he could handle her running away.....even if it was for the best....

“Then...maybe I shouldn’t.....maybe you shouldn’t....”

He knew what was coming next.

Maybe you shouldn’t be here.

He absolutely shouldn’t be here. Anywhere near her, really. She didn’t belong in his world.

She trusts you.....but if you give her enough reason not to....She’s ready to run from you....to protect herself. And you can’t even fault her for that. 

Fuck.

No.

He didn’t want it to end like this. Not the best thing to ever happen to him. It shouldn’t end on her rooftop, with her afraid of him. If it had to end......he would deal with that pain later. But not like this.

“You think I’d pull a lame prank like that?” He asked her, schooling his voice into neutral tones. “If that was me, you’d be seein’ real blood, sweetheart. You’re underestimating my level of thug.”

Poppy turned to face him, her eyes wide and glassy. She’d been close to crying. Fuck. Her mouth pulled into a uncertain, tight smile. But....I’ve found out all that I need to know....

He watched her smile drop just a bit, brows knitting together as she considered what he said. Measuring, weighing everything. 

“Pfft!!! I’ll bet it’s boss level thug!” She teased, going back to her painting. Tora felt his shoulders relax. She hasn’t seen the notebook. Has no idea what it’s all about. Nobody who read the contents of that notebook would be so calm, so ready to trust....

Trust.

Just a little longer.... “anyway.....what d’you think?” She asked, taking the canvas off and holding it in front of herself. And she....has absolutely nothing to do with it. All the more reason to keep her safe...but for this moment....he looked at the canvas.

The painting itself was impressive. He’d never be able to create something like this. He looked over all the carefully placed brush strokes, the blending of the colors and how she made each of her subjects appear to be smiling happily. But....

He couldn’t see the one person he wanted to see. 

Carefully, he reached out and lowered the canvas, and Poppy’s confused face looked back at him. Impulsively he tugged the painting and pulled it towards him and she released it, staring at him with her enormous doe like eyes.

He....really...couldn’t help himself. 

Tora reached out his hand and used his thumb to gently wipe her nose. She blinked, startled by the contact, but didn’t stop him. 

“Oh! Thank you!” Her tiny fingers grazed his hand, clearly she thought he was cleaning something off her nose. He pulled his thumb away, smirking at the green mark he left behind. 

“Pretty.”

God, she looked gorgeous when she blushed like that. The light of the sunset would have made her ethereal if it wasn’t for her now smudged nose and her animal print tank top. But she was still....perfect. Still Poppy.

His Poppy. 

For now.

For just a few minutes more....

“Gah!! It’s getting late!” Poppy blurted suddenly. Tora glanced at the sky, never one to really wear a watch. Yes, the sun was getting lower in the sky. The colors were more golden and rose. The air was cooler. The heat from the day was fading.

“Are you ready to leave?” She was asking him, quickly putting away her brushes and paints into the weird little monkey backpack that was leaning on the wall. “I’ll just put my art supplies back and grab my purse from my apartment.....I’ve still got work to catch up on, so-“ she rattled off, clearly feeling rushed. 

Tora watched her movements silently then: 

“If you’ve still got work to do, then stay. I’ll deliver the painting for ya.” He said, a devious thought swimming to the surface of his mind. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Besides.....he had to try.

“Really? All the way to the airport?” She asked, smiling at him brightly. 

“‘Course, but.....you know the rules.”

“Rules?” She questioned. It took her about two seconds. She was a fast one. “GAH! The rules! I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN!”

She was cute when she got flustered. 

“You agreeing to help so readily was too good to be true!”

He didn’t think he would ever tire of watching her emotions run across her face like this, even when she was annoyed with him. There was something so fun about teasing her, getting her riled up. 

“Okay, what is it you want this time, you thug? More food?”

Now or never.

Come on Tora. 

Just, ask. 

Besides....it might be the last time he got to see her...and....he WANTED this...maybe more than he ever wanted anything in his life.

He didn’t trust himself to speak. 

He shook his head. 

Instead he lifted one hand and tapped his own cheek, staring right into those beautiful eyes of hers.

Poppy’s face turned pink. Really pink. Eyes wide, wider then he could ever recall seeing them. 

“R-really?” Oh yeah, she understood. He smiled. He was just asking for a kiss on the cheek, not like he was trying to get into her pants. But damn, it was fun to see her squirm. 

“YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH ANYTHING...JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE GOOD-LOOKING!” She cried. 

She thought he was good looking? 

Game on.

“Sounds about right. Hurry up before I change my mind.” He agreed, and tapped his cheek again. “This spot, right here.”

Poppy stared up at him, nervousness written all over her face. But something else too. Something else was burning behind her eyes. She couldn’t possibly be scared of him, still. Could she? She glanced down, her hands coming up to her face. 

Fuck. 

Maybe he’d pushed her too far. I mean, she had boundaries too, right? He waited a half heart beat. 

Her hands came up and shot towards him and instinct made him want to dodge away, years of fighting telling him to avoid and punch, but no.

She grabbed onto his hoodie, fingers clenched tightly as she stepped towards him, a strange fire glowing in her eyes. Poppy tugged on his hoodie and he bent his body forward, shocked, but unresisting, and her face move towards him. Her lips pressed softly at first against his own, then more firmly. Insistent. Lighting and sparks seemed to flash across his vision. 

The world dropped away.

It was like being held in that weird silence between lighting and thunder, when the whole sky waits for the explosion it knows will come.

Her eyes had closed and Tora felt his heart slamming into his chest like it was trying to break out of a cage it only now realized it occupied. She was so close, so warm, he closed his eyes, answering her lips with his own, the hand that wasn’t clutching her painting came up, resting it on her hip. She pressed, nipping his lower lip just enough to get him to open up a little further, and he willingly did. 

Everything felt right. 

His hand clenched just a fraction tighter on her, willing her to please, please move closer. Poppy pressed her body into him, and he shifted slightly, not breaking this fragile contact, wanting to stay like this forever.

In the moment that seemed to stretch into a eternity and nothing at all, he realized something. He had always been Tiger of Ares Street, maybe not the master of his path, but he’d certainly never needed anyone. Never wanted anyone. Seems as if he was learning this lesson, late, it was true but he was learning.

Tora knew, in his core, in everything that made him who he was, he would never escape Poppy. He would close his eyes and she would be there. He let her in, let her get close. Poppy’s smile almost too bright to bear after occupying darkness for so long. No matter how far he would run from her, how much he pushed her away, she would still be there. 

Tormenting him, possessing him, calming him, a part of him....

If his punishment for all his accumulated sins was to have this woman dancing in his mind’s eye, just out of reach....he could think of worse fates. He had tailored his own purgatory, knowing this siren existed, could sing a song only he could hear, and knowing he could never truly keep her. 

Not if....

No....

Because he.....

He...lov-

The explosion of thunder came, as Poppy pulled her lips away, the heat between them sizzling in the breath they shared for a fraction of a second.

Ba-Dump.

Fuck.

He.....

Her eyes were huge, wild. He stared down into her face, not sure what to say....or do. 

“Pop-“ he stuttered. 

He felt her hands clench again and he didn’t bother bracing, he would happily steal another kiss just like that one.

Suddenly his hood jerked up and over his head.

“WELL THANKS AGAIN!” Poppy shrieked, her tiny hands holding the hood firmly over his eyes. Tora stumbled. WAIT! WHAT?

“WHAT THE FUCK?!”

What was happening?! He flailed, unsure. What the hell was going on? Her hands were on him, turning him.

“DON’T FORGET THE PAINTING!!!” Poppy’s voice was high, and Tora couldn’t believe what he felt.

Was she...? Tying his hoodie shut?!

Holy shit!!! She had figured that out! 

FUCK!

Fuckfuckfuck.

HOW HAD SHE FIGURED THAT OUT?

“JUST SEND ME A TEXT WHEN YOU PASS THIS TO MR. LAM!” She had spun him around and he stumbled, blinded and panicked. Her tiny hands were shoving him, he wasn’t sure where. 

“JESUS FUCKIN’!” He howled, throwing a hand up, desperate to get his bearings. What the fuck was happening? This wasn’t normal reactions to kissing! Was this what she normally did after kissing someone? What the fuck was she doing?

“I’LL GET THE DOOR FOR YOU!” He felt his knees slam into something as Poppy shoved all her weight into his back, forcing him forward. FUCK!! Her arm was reaching past him on his side and she was fumbling with something.

“IN YOU GO! CHOP CHOP ON THE DOUBLE!!”

WAIT! 

FUCK!

HOW THE FUCK DID SHE FIGURE OUT THE KNOT HE TIED?

He couldn’t fucking see! The fuck did she want him to do! He dug his heels in, panicked. 

“COULD YOU JUST WAIT A GODDAMN-“

The door slammed into him hard. FUCK! FUCKFUCKFUCK! FUCK!!!! “MINUTE!”

The side of his face and his upraised wrist stung where the impact happened. Fuck! Poppy was throwing herself full force into him, all but shoving him out of the door.

“OH SHOOT SORRY!” She screamed, sounding not the least bit sorry. He answered her with a irate growled curse. “WATCH YOUR STEP, STAIRS GO ALL THE WAY DOWN!”

“WATCH WITH WHAT? MY KNEES?” He snarled at her. He was going to fucking die in a fucking stairwell from blunt force trauma to the fucking skull! “JESUS CHRIST, WOMAN! ARE YA TRYIN’ TO GET ME KILLED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT?!”

Of all the ways for this kiss to have ended, he was not prepared for this. He was not prepared to have Gravity deliver him into Death’s waiting embrace. Fuck! He was going to be murdered by a fucking hamster!

“YOU’RE BIG AND STRONG! YOU’LL SURVIVE!” He heard her call, he stumbled down the first few stairs, flailing blindly, heart pounded and confused. 

“THAT’S FUCKIN’ BULLSHIT!” he managed to yell, still flailing aimlessly. He slipped, stumbled, the first several stairs causing him to crash once into the wall, then to slam his knee into another stair. FUCKING OUCH! 

“OKAY, OKAY! I’M SORRY!” He heard Poppy call over his screams and curses. “DRIVE SAFE AND I’LL SEE YOU AROUND SOMETIME!”

The door slammed shut behind him and he fumbled down a half dozen more stairs before he stopped himself and felt for the ties on his own hoodie. 

HIS OWN TRICK HAD BEEN USED AGAINST HIM!

Tora felt the knot and carefully tugged on it, his body was aching and he was fairly sure he was going to have some bruising. The hoodie opened and he blinked and looked around. He took in a bit of air, trying to calm the pounding of his heart.

He wasn’t sure if it was from the kiss or near death experience that just happened. Fuck. 

Goddamnit. He had heard of playing hard to get, but did that actually include attempted homicide? 

Tora smiled.

Feisty little hamster.

He glanced at the painting.

Looked unharmed.

FUCK!

He had to get to the airport!

He ran, careful only to make sure the canvas would be in one piece upon arrival.

About two minutes later he was pelting across her parking lot in the rose colored sunset, he didn’t bother with the stupid fuck of a security guard, simply ran for the gate, threw himself out of it and back into the blue car.

Fuck, this piece of shit car had better make it to the airport. He started the engine roughly and threw it into drive.

Slamming it into gear he peeled off down the street, burning rubber as he did. Some poor sap was missing this hunk of junk, but he needed it for the time being. He glanced at the parking tickets in the dash and rolled his eyes. He’d leave some cash and park it someplace the idiot who forgot to lock the doors could find it.

But not now. Nope. Right now he had to get to the airport and Lam.

He lit a cigarette quickly, trying to calm his shaky nerves. Poppy’s flushed and smiling face floated into his mind.

Poppy....

Poppylan...

Bobby....

His....Poppy

His blew smoke nervously, for the first time in years, feeling truly shaken to his core. Fuck. What was he doing? What was he thinking?

His lips tingled with the memory of her. Fuck. Fuck. Not good. 

But...

She kissed him. She had kissed him. She...wanted him?

He took another long drag on the cigarette and floored the gas, aiming towards the airport. He smirked to himself.

The Tiger of Ares Street was now a errand boy for a little hamster named Bobby.

It was ridiculous.

And he couldn’t be happier.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tora and Poppy’s kiss
> 
> Poppy’s POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone,
> 
> This is my gift to the MPL fandom. I know we aren’t having a new episode this week, and because this was specifically a moment requested of me from my fellow MPL fans, I decided to try my hand at it.
> 
> This POV story is a little different then my previous ones. We are going to be jumping back and forth each chapter experiencing the same scene from Poppy’s POV, then Tora’s and so on and so forth. So you’ll be reading the same dialogue in essence, but have different internal monologues. 
> 
> Their internal thoughts are speculation on my part, and some of what Lilydusk has already given us, so please bear that in mind as you read. I sincerely hope you all enjoy it. There might be some minor errors, which I’ll fix as I find them, but I basically cranked out all these chapters in the space of five days and dealing with a few stressful events in my life. 
> 
> A HUGE shout out to my ladies in the MPL RAMBLING chat. You ladies give me life.
> 
> As always, all characters belong to Lilydusk!
> 
> Enjoy.

She hadn’t considered this.

Well, she had. Tora had already alluded to the fact that what he did for a living wasn’t....well, it wasn’t a normal job. 

From the moment she had laid eyes on him in Chevy’s after his....co-workers left with Mr. Lam, she’d had a suspicion that he dealt with some questionable people. Part of her wanted to never see him again, the part of her that didn’t want to be a part of anything dangerous. 

But then....Tora had been nothing but kind to her. Well, aside from the incident at the little sushi place, but, given what she knew of him now, she could sorta understand his reaction. Even if it did upset her. She supposed he had a right to feel upset too. But now that she knew him....

This was more complicated than she had been expecting this to be. She couldn’t deny that she was attracted to Tora. Because she absolutely was. She could admit that to herself. 

He was....completely different than Julri and she was glad of that. She never thought she would be the kind to be into long hair and tattoos, but it worked. More than worked....also didn’t help that every romantic novel she read she could easily cast Tora in those leading man roles.....especially The Secret Garden. 

Poppy paused, reality setting in. Tora was dangerous. He did something that was probably related to criminal activity. That was a fact. It still didn’t change the fact that she felt drawn to him. 

She felt comfortable with him, and lately, he’d gotten much easier to talk to. He listened to her, the teasing was....well, it was fun, once she’d realized it was just his type of humor. He was easy to be around. This wasn’t how she wanted this conversation to go. She didn’t want to loose him....she was tired of loosing people...

“Then maybe I shouldn’t....maybe you shouldn’t....” 

Damnit.

Tears pricked her eyes and she blinked them back quickly. She liked him. Really liked him. Did she have to say goodbye to him too? Was he just going to leave too? It was hard enough being away from Moon Bright. Tora was....well, she wanted to keep him in her life. She liked the big dork who took pictures of the bentos she made him. 

She gripped the canvas tightly, not sure what she wanted to say. Please don’t lie to me, I don’t want to deal with anymore lies. 

“You think I’d pull a lame prank like that?” Tora asked her suddenly, his voice sounding almost bored. “If that was me, you’d be seein’ real blood, sweetheart. You’re underestimating my level of thug.”

Poppy turned and glanced at him over her shoulder, blinking the tears back carefully, a small smile on her face. He looked....she wasn’t sure. Was he telling her the truth or what she wanted to hear? Was he trying to keep her from crying? He seemed strangely empathetic for someone who was supposed to be so scary. 

Tiger indeed.

More like a sweet house cat.

She smiled at him. 

“Pfft! I’ll bet it’s boss level thug!” She laughed. “Anyway....”

Carefully she lifted the canvas offer her easel and lifted it in front of her for him to see. 

“What d’you think?” She asked. She hoped he liked it. For some reason she really wanted to impress him. Then she felt his hand gripping the painting and gently tugging it away from her. He pulled it down just enough so her face was over the top and she blinked at him curiously.

Tora was staring at her with his sphinx-like, warm amber eyes, a smirk on his face. He reached out slowly and wiped his thumb on her nose.

Poppy felt a little jolt of electricity spark from his touch. Oh! She could feel her heart pounding. How did he do that? All those kisses with Julri...all of them combined have never gotten as much of a response from her as Tora’s single touch to her NOSE was getting from her now!

“Oh! Thank you!” She sputtered, realizing she had probably gotten paint on her face somehow and he was being kind enough to wipe it off. 

Tora was watching her, a his easy, insanely hot smile on his face. No. She had been wrong.

Not a house cat.

A Tiger, absolutely a Tiger crouching and waiting to pounce.

Dangerous.

Lethal.

Hot.

“Pretty.” He answered. 

Heat shot from her head to her toes. Her entire body tingled.

This couldn’t be normal, could it? She couldn’t seriously be responding like this from a guy touching her nose and calling her pretty....

Except.....

Except she absolutely was.

She didn’t think she was the type to just....well, get so easily manipulated like this, but....

Well, was it possible she’d never really felt....actual attraction to someone? Julri has spent most of their “relationship” belittling her. A fact she had only recently come to terms with. Was this what it was supposed to feel like? The “spark” everyone talked about?

Tora looked....so handsome in the golden and rose colored light of the sunset. 

The sun was setting...

“GAH! It’s getting late!” She cried, oh no! The painting! She had to hurry. 

“Are you ready to leave?” She asked, grabbing her paint and brushes and put them back into her monkey back pack. “I’ll just put my art supplies back and grab my purse from my apartment...” oh geez. She still had so much work to do. But....she had to get this painting to the airport. “I’ve still got work to catch up on, so-“

“If you’ve still got work to do, then stay.” Tora said, still leaning against the ledge. “I’ll deliver the painting for ya.”

“Really? All the way to the airport?” Oh my gosh, he was a savior. 

“‘Course....but....you know the rules.” Tora smiled. 

What?

“Rules?” Poppy stopped, looking at him. What did he mean? Then it clicked. “Gah! The rules! I should have known!” Of course, he had a price. “You agreeing to help so readily was too good to be true!”

She zipped her back pack and walked over to him. 

“Okay, what is it you want this time, you thug? More food?”

Tora shook his head, the most peculiar look on his face. Poppy watched him lift his hand to his face and tap his cheek.

WHAT?!?

WAS HE SERIOUS?

Butterflies erupted in her stomach. And all of them seemed to have downed a triple shot, venti, caramel ribbon Frappuccino with extra whip cream and chocolate drizzle.

“.....R-REALLY?” She heard herself squeak. “YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH ANYTHING....JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE GOOD LOOKING?”

“Sounds about right. Hurry up before I change my mind. This spot right here.” He added, tapping his cheek again. 

He wanted a kiss? Really? From her? Why? Was....he wasn’t teasing when he said she was pretty. Was he? It was...just a kiss. On the cheek. Right? Just a kiss....

Damn him. She....really wanted to kiss him. 

So why couldn’t she? She was a grown adult, and she spent the last couple years receiving loveless kisses....

Kisses that were cold and dull.

Well, maybe it was time to see what sort of kiss she would get from a Tiger......

She took a step forward, and reached quickly for his hoodie before she could chicken out. She tugged and brought his face down, and pushed up on her tiptoes. She caught a glimpse of his startled face and smiled to herself. 

Her lips finding his felt like the most natural thing ever to her, even as she felt Tora’s breath catch in surprise before his body relaxed.

The world seemed to melt away for her, and the only thing left to hold onto was Tora. His lips felt incredibly soft and she nibbled his lower lip, and felt his mouth open a bit in surprise. He deepened the kiss, greedily, and she felt sparks pass between them. 

Heat raced over her body and her heart was thundering in her chest. This felt different! This was so different. She felt his hand come up on her side and grip her hips just slightly, like he was trying to anchor her there. She didn’t want to move and sank a little further into his body.

This was all the things she felt she had missed. This was all the fiery passion and intensity she’d never felt before. Oh...oh my God....how did...how was she going to....survive this? 

WHAT WAS SHE DOING? 

She pulled away slowly, and exhaled, the heat still lingering heavily in the air they were both sharing. 

Oh this was so different. 

Oh....

Tora gazed back at her, his amber eyes practically sizzling with heat and very dark, very sensual promises. Heat bubbled up in every part of her, every single part of her seemed to be engulfed in his amber eyes. 

Oh....

Her knees shook. 

Oh!

Nope! Not now! Not now!!

“Pop-“ he began. She didn’t let him finish. Embarrassment and nerves gave her strength and she yanked his hood over his eyes.

“WELL THANKS AGAIN!” She shrieked, her heart racing. 

“WHAT THE FUCK?” Tora shouted, flailing. Poppy fumbled quickly with the hoodie’s ties, looping them into a knot she’d spent a few days learning. Served him right for showing her this. 

“DON’T FORGET THE PAINTING!” She pushed him towards the door leading back out to the staircase, and he let her, still off balance and shouting.

“JESUS FUCKIN-“

“I’LL GET THE DOOR FOR YOU! IN YOU GO! CHOP CHOP! ON THE DOUBLE!” She threw all her weight into his back, forcing him forward as she reached to the side and grabbed hold of the door, and pulled. 

“COULD YOU JUST WAIT A GODDAMN-“ Tora howled angrily. The door slammed open, much harder than she had intended. “MINUTE!” Oh no, oh no! She might have hurt him!

“OH SHOOT! SORRY!” She cried, but none the less kept shoving into his back, a flailing, confused Tora did not move easily. He let out a low, snarling curse, still trying to dig his feet in and not move. “WATCH YOUR STEP, STAIRS GO ALL THE WAY DOWN!”

“WATCH WITH WHAT? MY KNEES! JESUS CHRIST WOMAN, ARE YA’ TRYIN’ TO GET ME KILLED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT?!”

Well, SOMEONE was being dramatic. 

Poppy threw her weight into his lower back and got him to stumble a few steps into the stairwell. 

“YOU’RE BIG AND STRONG! YOU’LL SURVIVE! ALL SIX FEET AND THREE INCHES OF YOU!”

“THAT’S FUCKIN’ BULLSHIT!” Tora snarled, as he fell into the stairwell, blindly flailing around. 

“OKAY, OKAY! I’M SORRY!” Oh god, he was gonna be so bruised. “DRIVE SAFE AND I’LL SEE YOU AROUND SOME TIME!” She slammed the door shut, and leaned against it for a moment.

Ba-dump  
Ba-dump  
Ba-dump

She could still hear Tora swearing loudly as he went down the stairs. 

Oh goodness....

She hurried back to her art supplies and easel.

She just kissed Tora.

She kissed Tora.

SHE KISSED TORA!

She let out a nervous giggle, then a pent up scream. Oh my God...she, Poppylan Wilkes, just kissed a totally hot, possibly out of her league, almost stranger.

Except, no. He wasn’t out of her league. She was pretty. He’d said it. Tora thought she was pretty and she kissed him. And he wasn’t really a stranger...

This was Tora. The guy she felt....safe with. The guy who caught her when she fell from a tree. The guy who washed the dishes after dinner and who had those really cute dimples....

Oh my....

She touched her lips, they still were tingling. Oh....that had been...hot. So hot. 

She giggled softly, oh my gosh, he had looked so handsome....so incredibly adorable....

She had just thrown Tora down six flights of stairs.

OH MY GOD SHE HAD THROWN HIM DOWN THE STAIRS!

Alarmed now, she went to the ledge of the building and looked down in time to see a blue car peel off down the street, squealing and leaving tire marks as it did. So he was unharmed enough to drive.

Poppy watched the car head back towards the main city, the breeze cooling her body just slightly. She sighed happily and looked at the sunset. 

Poppy giggled just a little bit, thinking of his flailing and confused swearing as she shoved him out the door. It shouldn’t be so funny, but it absolutely was. Tora thought he was the only one with tricks up his sleeve, hmm? 

She kissed Tora...

Tora.

Mr. Scary Tiger

TORA.

Poppy smiled, unsure of what would happen next. But hopefully whatever was going to happen, Tora would be there.


End file.
